With the California Department of Water Resources reporting last week that Sierra snowpack is at 118% of normal for this time of year (compared to 63% of normal at this time last year,) area papers today theorize on how climate change will continue to impact our future supply. Here are two interesting articles:

In the North County Times, UC San Diego research marine physicist Tim Barnett explains how a warmer world could mean drastically less water for Southern California.

Meanwhile, the LA Times today takes a look at Gin Flat, one of the primary sites for recording state snow levels. The story would not be complete without the interview with Frank Gehrke, California’s snow survey chief. Known as the “don of the Sierra Snowpack,” he points to climate change as the major cause of our erratic snow levels.

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You’ve heard it before: Despite recent showers, Californians have a long way to go before we’re out of the woods in regards to last year’s water woes. This means conservation is key, especially on rainy days.

This month, a few Colorado Senators are going so far as to propose a change in their state law, to allow people to take full advantage of seasonal downpour by harvesting rain for later use. If you’re inspired, or perhaps just amused by this, here’s an interesting news clip on rain harvesting with the LA-based TreePeople Organization. (Video behind the cut)

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With sporadic showers, we begin to wonder if the drought is over. Dave Hill, our Water Resources & Planning Manager, can tell you from experience it’s not. Not only does he see first-hand the breaking facts and figures relating to our state water levels, but in the past few months, he’s witnessed the local interest in our recycled water program dramatically increase. Here, he provides some insights on the popular question:

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